The aim of this paper is twofold. First it contains a description how Heart of Darkness can be used in the definition and discussion of the terms imperialism and civilization. Second it describes a pattern of analysis based on the novella that isparticularly relevant for postcolonial studies. Thus the novella, together with a selection of source material, serves both to give the historical and factual background necessary for the study of New Literatures in English and to provide the students withan analytical model that may be applied to other books in their reading list.